So What happens?

Returning to the mansion Steve Rogers is confronted by the tearful Scarlet Witch. She tells him that their trip to the Balkans did restore their powers but they witnessed an alien space craft landing and Pietro was captured when investigating it.

As Cap calls the team together Hawkeye arrives with the Black Widow calling for her to be given membership. Goliath disagrees because she had only just fought the team. Wanda can't believe they are arguing over this with Pietro in danger and they all (Natasha included) jet off to eastern Europe.

They almost fly straight into a force field that has been erected around the alien craft but Wanda warns them at the last minute claiming to have developed new powers during her stint in Europe. Landing nearby the Avengers approach on foot but still cant get past the force field.

After their powers fail to dent it Wanda tells them about some caves she and Pietro played in as kids that should lead under the field.

Sure enough the cave does lead under the forcefield and leads them to a huge cave occupied by a gigantic computer with the mayor of the Transian village connected to the centre of it. Getting closer they notice two more figures captured within, Wanda and Pietro.

The Avengers guide is revealed as an android as Cap has suspected all along. She says she is working for the alien Ixar and sets an army of robots on the team (the ultroids) all the Avengers eventually fall to them but the Black Widow stays free in the cave complex.

She manages to free Captain America who goes on the counter attack but they are only able to crack one of the capsules containing a captive Avenger before they are recaptured.

So it is any good?:

The first time I read this issue I hated it but I think I must have grown to appreciate Don Heck in between readings as I found the art at least quite enjoyable this time round. It is certainly one of the most Heckish issues if you know what I mean but I quite like that. On the downside you can't actually tell which Avenger is in the capsule Cap damages. From the story I would guess Goliath but it looks more like Wanda, less stylised art would have helped there.

The story isn't brilliant and the substitution of Wanda is rather obvious but if you give Thomas some credit for his inexperience then it isn't that bad. He can't write a convincing action sequence yet but the build up to it is fairly well done although it is a lot more talkative than under Lee. Very few panels have less than three speech bubbles but most of them serve a purpose. Its a reasonable start on the series but nothing to really write home about.

There is a real change of focus in this issue. Thomas features Goliath a lot less than Lee had been doing and gives Cap a few chances to shine showing clearly that he is distrustful of 'Wanda'. The Black Widow also gets a turn in the spotlight, I dont know if she was seriously being considered for membership by Thomas but it looked to me like she was being set up as a possible Avenger.

Even though it isn't really Wanda her impostor gets far more screen time than Wanda often got under Lee and just by picking up the loose end of Wanda and Pietro Thomas seems to be getting ready to bring them back onto the cast. The change over in writers quickly influenced which heroes got a chance to star.

Avengers Facts:

After scripting Stan Lee's last plot in the previous issue this is Roy Thomas first story.

Ultrana and the ultroids are possibly Roy Thomas' first contributions to the Marvel universe. The similarity in names and robotic nature to Ultron suggest that perhaps Ultron was an attempt to improve on the earlier idea.

Transia had appeared in earlier issues of both Thor and the Avengers but it wasn't named until this issue.

Ultrana recently showed up in George Perez' montage of Avengers foes, probably the most obscure villain to do so.

Are there any goofy moments?

Hawkeye and the Black Widow are getting ready to go out to dinner in full costume. Maybe they got better service that way.

Is it a landmark?

Only as Roy Thomas' first real story, his links to the team continued for decades.

Where can I read it?

Marvel Triple Action 28 but a pages is missing. I was reviewing from that reprint so I may have missed something.